The Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll is one of 24 Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology and 37 total institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system that are located across the state, serving the citizens of Tennessee. The TBR and the Board of Trustees of the University of Tennessee System are coordinated by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC). THEC was created by the General Assembly in 1967 to achieve coordination and unity in the programs of public higher education in Tennessee. The TBR system was created by legislation enacted by the 1963 General Assembly of Tennessee, Chapter 229 of House Bill 633. Chapter 181, Senate Bill 746-House Bill 697, of the Public Act of 1983 transferred the governance of the state technical institutes and area vocational-technical schools from the State Board of Education to the Tennessee Board of Regents. The transfer became effective on July 1, 1983. By action of the Tennessee Legislature in 1994, the school name changed from Neese State Area Vocational Technical School to Tennessee Technology Center at Paris. In 2013, the Legislature unanimously approved changing the name of the state’s technology centers to the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology.

The Tennessee Board of Regents, the governing body for Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll , underwent a major shift in 2017 because of the FOCUS Act of 2016 and the appointment of a new Chancellor, Dr. Flora Tydings. The FOCUS Act seeks to ensure the state’s Community Colleges and Tennessee College of Applied Technology are organized, supported, and empowered in efforts to increase the percentage of Tennesseans with a postsecondary credential. Largely this involved the development of local governing boards for each of the six universities thus allowing TBR a greater focus on the 13 community Colleges and 24 Tennessee College of Applied Technology. Additional TBR efforts under the leadership of Dr. Tydings included the retitling of the chief administrative officers of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll  Director to President; the movement towards all 37 campuses in the TBR system operating with shared services; and, the restructuring of the TBR organization uniting the community and Tennessee College of Applied Technology through common offices and services.

Henry/Carroll Campuses

The history of the Tennessee College of Applied Technology Henry/Carroll began with creation of the McKenzie campus in July 1965. Courses offered were Auto Mechanics, Drafting, and Office Occupations. By August 1965, Industrial Electricity/Electronics, Machine Shop, and Air Conditioning/Refrigeration were also being offered. The Paris campus was formed with the consolidation of the seven Henry County high schools for the 1969-70 school year. With one of the relatively new buildings, the Central High School building, being left vacant, Mr. W. J. Neese of Paris, a member of the legislature, secured a state appropriation to convert the building into an Area Vocational-Technical  School. Initial classes offered in Paris included Practical Nursing, Health Occupations, Electronics, General Metals and Small Engine Repair.

When the State Department of Education and the Henry County Board of Education decided that the building would require too much renovation and would not be suitable for an area vocational school, agreement was made that the Henry County Board of Education would construct a building which would be leased as a branch of the State Area Vocational-Technical School at McKenzie.

Construction began for the Paris campus in October of 1970, and the building was occupied March 1, 1972. During the construction period, the school operated a limited program from the McKenzie campus and a temporary office in Paris.

The Practical Nursing program was transferred from the Henry County Board of Education, January 1, 1969. Health Occupations was offered for secondary students for the school year 1970-71, using the facilities at Henry County High School. The Electronics program was transferred from Henry County High School on October 1, 1971. Small Gas Engine Repair and General Metals were added to the curriculum and students were enrolled in the Fall of 1972.

The school continued as a branch of the Area Vocational-Technical School, McKenzie, until July 1, 1973, when it became independent by action of the State Board for Vocational Education.

Under the provisions of the 1973 Comprehensive Program of Vocational Education enacted by the General Assembly, the school was expanded with a 23,000-square foot addition. Construction was completed and students were enrolled in the new classes in 1976. Under the expansion, new classes added were Auto Body Repair, Child Care and Guidance, Cosmetology, Farm Equipment Repair, Plumbing/Pipefitting, and Appliance Repair.

In 1978 A second building was added to the McKenzie Campus to house a Masonry program. Additionally, Livestock Production was added that year.

Beginning in 1983, the McKenzie Campus changed the Farm Equipment Repair Program to Heavy Equipment Repair and Appliance Repair was merged with Industrial Electronics. In Paris, Housewiring and Heating/Air Conditioning were added to Plumbing and Pipefitting and Basic Skills and Industrial Maintenance were added to the curriculum as well.

In 1994 the name of the schools statewide was changed to Tennessee Technology Centers. Computer Operations Technology was added in 1995 and Basic Skills was changed to Technology Foundations. In 1996, the Small Gas Engine Repair and Plumbing/Pipefitting programs were no longer offered in Paris.

Machine Tool Technology and Business Systems Technology were added to the curriculum in 1997. In 1997-98, the Paris Center experienced another major renovation including a 6,000-square-foot addition. In 1998, the McKenzie received a $1.8 million dollar building renovation which added six classrooms, expanded the parking lot and updated the administration building. In the same year, Industrial Maintenance and Computer Operations Technology were added.

In July 2001, Precision Metalworking program was changed to General Metals. That same year, Surgical Technology and two Nursing Programs were also added at extension campuses in Dresden and Camden. The Motorcycle/ATV Repair Program was added in September 2007. In 2008, Surgical Technology was placed on inactive status and Residential Building Maintenance was added in May. Patient Care Technician was added in January of 2010 and closed in May 2017.

In 2013, the Board of Regents renamed the TTC's to the Tennessee Colleges of Applied Technology. In January 2014,the Business Systems Technology program was changed to the Administrative Office Technology program system-wide and a Health Information Technology program was added at Paris.

In December 2018, Early Childhood Education was deactivated. In March 2018, the Computer Information Technology program was revised and renamed Digital Processing Systems and Networking and in May of 2019 it was updated again to Information Technology Systems Management. In January 2018, Outdoor Power Equipment was added to the course offerings on the Paris Main Campus.

Present program offerings on the Paris Main Campus include Collision Repair, Cosmetology, Criminal Justice, Health Information Management, Information Technology Systems Management, Industrial Maintenance Integrated Automation, Machine Tool Technology, Motorcycle/ATVE Repair, Outdoor Power Equipment, Practical Nursing, Residential Building Maintenance, and Welding Technology. Present program offerings on the McKenzie Branch Campus include Administrative Office Technology, Automotive Technology,  Information Technology Systems Management, Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning/Refrigeration , Industrial Maintenance Integrated Automation,  Machine Tool Technology, and Welding Technology.

Extension Campuses 

In 1999, the Business Systems Technology program was offered in Weakley County as an extension of the McKenzie campus. In 2001, two extension campuses of Paris were opened to offer Practical Nursing, in Weakley and Benton counties. Through the years, both Paris and McKenzie offered programs in Weakley County. At one time,McKenzie offered Practical Nursing, (through a joint effort with the Paris campus), Industrial Maintenance and Business Systems Technology at a facility in Martin while Paris continued to offer PN in Dresden. Currently, Practical Nursing is taught in Benton County and Welding and Practical Nursing continue to be taught in Weakley County.

Directors and Presidents

The Paris campus has been under the leadership of four men since it opened. The first director was Lacey Downey from 1972-1982. He was followed by Jimmie Pritchard who held the position from 1982-2006, when he passed away while serving in his role as director. In 2007 then assistant director, Dr. Bradley W. White was named head of the campus. In 2009, he was named interim director of the McKenzie campus and shortly thereafter was named permanent director.

McKenzie's first president was Guy Kirk, who served from the campus' opening until 1978 when Kenneth Warren was named director. He led the campus until his untimely death in 1995. In 1996, Elizabeth Check was named director. She served until 2009.

Dr. White served both individual campuses until his retirement in early 2021. At that time, Vice-President Willie Huffman was promoted to President of both campuses.  In 2022,the process for merging the campuses began with Huffman as President. Huffman retired in 2024 and John Penn Ridgeway was named his successor.